WHO now owns Saints following the shock death of Markus Liebherr remained unclear last night.

While the day-to-day running of the club will be unaffected, the matter of who actually owns the club is not quite so clear cut.

While in a statement the late Swiss’s business group confirmed control of the family empire would fall to his daughter, Katharina Liebherr, it was not certain whether this would include Southampton Football Club.

When Markus took control of Saints last July, a holding firm was set up to buy the then beleaguered club out of administration.

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But it is not known if that company – DMWSL 613 Limited – formally became part of the hi-tech engineering conglomerate Mali Group, which was founded by the billionaire in 1994.

As previously reported by the Daily Echo yesterday, fans have been reassured the vision Markus had for taking his beloved Saints back into the Premier League will remain on track.

The club said in a statement released announcing his death: “The well laid plans for the club that he and the executive chairman had mapped out over a year ago will continue to be implemented uninterrupted and nothing will change in that regard.

“The club will ensure that Markus’s wishes are carried out in full.”

According to Companies House, which holds the registration details for all British-based firms, DMWSL 613 has just two directors – Markus and Saints’ executive chairman Nicola Cortese.

Those are the only two names listed on official documents, after the only man initially named director when the company was incorporated on July 3 last year, Michael Barron, had his directorship terminated just eight days later.

That was two days after Markus completed his purchase of the club, for a figure believed to be around £13m, and the same day he became a director of DMWSL 613.

Mr Cortese was added as a director in January this year.

The Mali Group, which is based in Switzerland, yesterday paid tribute to the “visionary”

man who founded the firm, following his sudden death on Monday, aged 62.

In a statement, which was published on the company’s website, it said: “Ladies and gentlemen, dear business partners, dear friends of Mali.

“Our CEO and founder of Mali, Mr Markus Liebherr, died on Monday night this week.

“We are shocked by his untimely death. The lack of his presence will be a painful challenge for us all.

“Those close to him will remember him to be modest, quiet, well disposed, intelligent and talented. His professional and entrepreneurial vision was firm; he was committed to this vision tirelessly and selflessly until his last hour.

“Please be assured that we all will continue to carry out his vision. Ms Katharina Liebherr is determined to continue the legacy of her father and his ideas for the future entirely in the interest of servicing existing as well as winning new Mali customers.

For this she receives the full support of the entire Mali team. Please allow us to pause for a moment before we dedicate ourselves fully to you again, our valued customers.

Thank you for your sympathy and understanding.”